I may be among the very few when I say this, but I like cemeteries. There is something about them that is both mysterious and hopeful. I enjoy them for their history, and I especially like them for their architecture.
Some thoughts come to mind when I think of cemeteries. I remember playing in one when I was a child. My brother and I went on a walk for several hours one afternoon when we were visiting my grandmother in New Jersey. We had a great day, exploring not only the Greenwood Cemetery but also Kiddy City, that day’s Toy’s-R-Us. We had fun until we were gone too long, my grandmother sent the Sheriff looking for us.
I think about some older cemeteries that I’ve visited over the years. When I was at Allegheny, I would visit a cemetery close to campus. Meadville has a fascinating old cemetery that actually was both a park and a burial ground at its inception. A former Supreme Court Justice, several former Allegheny Presidents, and some other notable figures are buried there. When I served in Titusville, I’d visit Woodlawn Cemetery. Woodlawn has oil tycoons, and even the grave of Ida Tarbell who wrote about some of them in her work on the Standard Oil Company.
I enjoy driving and even walking through cemeteries. It is fascinating to look at the markers, think about a person’s place in history, and even wonder about what would have been. Flags often mark the location of a fallen hero, sheep mark the location of small children lost far too early.
The evolution of burial practices is complex, and I should not dare attempt to distill it into one page. Unfortunately, much of what we think about, particularly this week is shrouded in fear. Halloween and the practices that surround it, often cause us to think about cemeteries as bad places. It takes us back to some of the medieval ethos that caused people to be gripped with fear. Far too often, they cause us to be fearful of death. Death in those times was often a threat used to discipline the living.
But part of the reason that I find some solace in a cemetery is because of my strong sense of hope that I find in our Christian faith. Cemeteries not only allow me to reflect upon those who have gone before me, history, and things of nostalgia, but also upon hope.
This Sunday, we remember those who have gone before us. We move past the fear of Halloween that our secular society clings to, and cling to something more lasting and more hopeful – and that is everlasting life. We celebrate life, we celebrate the saints of the church on All Saints Sunday.
Today, I’m thinking about those who have gone before us, not only from this year, but all those I have seen only through the words of a headstone. Some of them I know, some of them I have only heard of, most of them God knows. And as I remember, I remember the words of scripture that say, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain. But if it falls into the earth and dies, it will bear much fruit.”
In Christ, we will live again. And for that, I give God thanks.
I hope to see you in worship this week as I share a message entitled, “Unrevealed” and we share together in remembering those who have gone on to life eternal. Following our time of remembrance, we will share in communion. I hope you will join us for worship.
Please pray for me, and know that I am praying for you.
Some thoughts come to mind when I think of cemeteries. I remember playing in one when I was a child. My brother and I went on a walk for several hours one afternoon when we were visiting my grandmother in New Jersey. We had a great day, exploring not only the Greenwood Cemetery but also Kiddy City, that day’s Toy’s-R-Us. We had fun until we were gone too long, my grandmother sent the Sheriff looking for us.
I think about some older cemeteries that I’ve visited over the years. When I was at Allegheny, I would visit a cemetery close to campus. Meadville has a fascinating old cemetery that actually was both a park and a burial ground at its inception. A former Supreme Court Justice, several former Allegheny Presidents, and some other notable figures are buried there. When I served in Titusville, I’d visit Woodlawn Cemetery. Woodlawn has oil tycoons, and even the grave of Ida Tarbell who wrote about some of them in her work on the Standard Oil Company.
I enjoy driving and even walking through cemeteries. It is fascinating to look at the markers, think about a person’s place in history, and even wonder about what would have been. Flags often mark the location of a fallen hero, sheep mark the location of small children lost far too early.
The evolution of burial practices is complex, and I should not dare attempt to distill it into one page. Unfortunately, much of what we think about, particularly this week is shrouded in fear. Halloween and the practices that surround it, often cause us to think about cemeteries as bad places. It takes us back to some of the medieval ethos that caused people to be gripped with fear. Far too often, they cause us to be fearful of death. Death in those times was often a threat used to discipline the living.
But part of the reason that I find some solace in a cemetery is because of my strong sense of hope that I find in our Christian faith. Cemeteries not only allow me to reflect upon those who have gone before me, history, and things of nostalgia, but also upon hope.
This Sunday, we remember those who have gone before us. We move past the fear of Halloween that our secular society clings to, and cling to something more lasting and more hopeful – and that is everlasting life. We celebrate life, we celebrate the saints of the church on All Saints Sunday.
Today, I’m thinking about those who have gone before us, not only from this year, but all those I have seen only through the words of a headstone. Some of them I know, some of them I have only heard of, most of them God knows. And as I remember, I remember the words of scripture that say, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain. But if it falls into the earth and dies, it will bear much fruit.”
In Christ, we will live again. And for that, I give God thanks.
I hope to see you in worship this week as I share a message entitled, “Unrevealed” and we share together in remembering those who have gone on to life eternal. Following our time of remembrance, we will share in communion. I hope you will join us for worship.
Please pray for me, and know that I am praying for you.
5 comments:
When Aaron was very young and we would drive past a cemetery, he'd say, "I see people daddy."
May your hair never die.
Naturally curly hair never dies! So there Brett you smartie pants!
we know already, geeze
My word, it is Grant that is buryed in Grant's tomb. IT is GRANT!!!!!!!!
Post a Comment